Jonah's Destiny
by elfmaiden4legs
Summary: After Momma Rose has tied Jonnah and Tasha up they are rescued but the beatings that Jonnah has sustained were more severe than they at first thought. Jack, Peter and Tasha rush him to hospital but are they in time to save his life? potential for a death
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

**This is only my second H&A fic so please READ AND REVIEW, I'm a little obsessed with reviews lol and hate it when I don't recieve reviews for a story. I don't own H&A or any of the characters featured in this story so please don't sue me! I'm just a long time fan who loves to write. I hope you enjoy what you read!**

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW THIS... PLEASE!**

Jonah's insides burned with the fires of hell as he felt the pressure of the kick dealt by one of the believers he knew only by the name of Josh. It had been Momma Rose who had dealt the first blow, setting an example for the rest to follow as she made a heavy blow at Jonah's head and chest, knocking him to the ground, winding him in the process. His shoulder jarred painfully as it came into abrupt contact with the dry earth and he put his hands up defensively to guard himself against any further blows as he expected them to lay into him, as he had seen them do to so many others countless times before, a ritual that he himself had been part of once… but now he had left that part of himself to rot along with the sins of all the others, and they could do what they liked with him. But he waited and it never came, he waited quivering in pain, the floor cold and hard to his aching body, cold and hard like his mother's heart, he waited for his body to give in to the velocity of their blows, blows that never came.

His vision was a black hole as he kept his cold fingers pressed tight against his eyes, if he couldn't see them he couldn't know what was coming, he couldn't let them see how afraid he now was of his own mother, of the people he had once considered his family… he had to play along with their game, let them do what they had to do, at least for the moment. He couldn't let them kill him, though he knew that they wanted to, he would not let death take him, not yet… not until he knew that Tasha would be safe.

It was then that he made his mistake, he removed his hands from his eyes if only for a moment, hoping against hope that it had all been a bluff, a warning, and now that they had beaten their message into him they had left him to dwell on his sins soaked in his own blood. He flinched painfully as burning light met his eyes, and then he felt it, the searing pain as Josh's booted foot met with his gut, a single blow, but it was enough, and Jonah recoiled in agony, his sight foggy as unconsciousness threatened to overtake him… in that moment he knew that he would not make it out of this alive.

The believers returned him to his tent that evening in an exhausted state. He had little recollection of how he had got there, he remembered being carried rather unceremoniously by a girl and an older man that he had once counted amongst his closest friends, but he was too weak to even recall their names now. Momma Rose had followed cruelly behind, entering the tent with Jonah making sure that he was once again handcuffed securely back in place with no chance of escape. He winced as his right leg brushed against the hard ground and gripped his ankle like a vice as pain shot up his leg and into the base of his back. Tasha was wrenching at her shackles in a bid to get to him and he rejoiced briefly at her loyalty… after all he had done to her she still cared for him, she still didn't want to see him hurt.

"What have you done to him?" She cried.

But Momma Rose won't tell her, won't tell her all that they have put Jonah through, the trials that lie ahead, and for the first time in days he is grateful for her heartlessness. Her silence is malicious, she wants to keep them waiting, keep them in suspense as though their fates haven't already been decided, but Jonah knows what is coming, and he doesn't want Tasha dwelling on the inevitable.

"What did they do to you?" She asks him as Momma Rose leaves them to themselves, she sees the pain in Jonah's eyes, the fear, but she herself no longer appears afraid, at least not for herself… and that's how he wants it to stay.

"Nothing… its nothing." He smiles, and with that she turns away.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Running, they are running now. Jonah feels as through his heart is going to burst through his chest wall as he fights to keep up with Tasha, knowing that he is fighting a loosing battle, not only to catch up with the girl he has learnt to love above all other, to escape, but to stay alive. He hears the group as they gather behind him, hears his mothers angry cries and falls back, his leg is numb with searing pain and this is all he has left to offer now… they will focus on him giving Tasha enough time to escape, and then, when he knows that she is safe, it won't matter what happens to him anymore.

He feels them grab him as he falls to the floor, hoist him up, drag him back to camp. Only this time he knows he will not return to the vague comfort of the tent, they will tie him up outside, wash him, before setting his body aflame – to eradicate his sins… welcome him back into the family, but this is one family Jonah knows he does not want to go back to… Jonah will make sure that tonight is the last night he spends on this earth.

His chest and abdomen are searing with burning pain now as he is fighting for each new breath. His body aches with bruises, his flesh tender to the touch, but it doesn't matter to him that he can no longer feel his wounded leg. He knows that they have cut him, marked him, labelled him like an animal to be owned. He realises now that he was never free, from the moment he was born he was a prisoner, his destiny already determined by his mother, and his hateful surrogate family… Tasha has helped him to realise that. He had grown up thinking that he was special, that he had the ultimate freedom, the perfect childhood, and a perfect life – yet he was the perfect puppet… but there is still hope for Tasha, she can still be free, and there is still one last thing that Jonah can do to make his life really mean something… from now on Jonah is in charge of his own destiny.

"Where's the girl?" he hears someone rage but looking around he can't see Tasha anymore and he is relieved… unconsciousness beckons him as he is laid to the ground with surprising gentleness. He feels his arms being wrenched behind his back as his spine comes in contact with rough bark, the tree scratching at his bare arms as he feels his wrists being bound around the thick trunk… the believers will not make the same mistake with him twice, but escape was never his true motive, Tasha would never have fled without him, and he needed to see her safe. The pain has become a dull ache now, or maybe it is the fact that he will never see her again that hurts more than any physical beating he has sustained. He knows that he is dying, if not in body then he has lost the will to live, the lies that he has lived are now slowly killing him. His eyes are growing heavy, its as though they have drugged him but this time it goes much deeper than that – and he knows it, for this time his drowsiness is perfectly natural as his body begins to shut down around him, and tonight he will sleep the most peaceful sleep he has slept in weeks, the most natural sleep he has probably ever slept in his life, for tonight will bring with it true freedom…


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Jonah's head spins and throbs with the pulsating beat of his heart as he feels himself being shaken awake by gentle hands. His head is propped unceremoniously against the tree, his neck stiff and set painfully in place, he can't tell how long he has been asleep but he knows he can't have been out for long… and he is strangely relieved to discover that he is not done with yet. As he opens his eyes cautiously fear consumes his soul as he expects to see that the end has come before it was due, but to his surprise he is still alone. He feels a delicate hand placed upon his shoulder and strains to turn around, to gaze into the eyes of his saviour… to gaze into the eyes of Tasha.

Even his delusions are taunting him… he reaches out to stroke her rosy cheeks, pink with exertion, but she looks more beautiful than ever… a mirage with that familiar gleam in her eyes telling him that she is going to save him. But his heart misses a beat as she reaches out to him as he pulls away, placing a cool hand against his burning forehead, withdrawing quickly as she feels the fire of his fever… Tasha has returned to him.

"You came back." He strains to speak.

"Of course I came back…"

He has not the energy left to tell her how much he loves her, but he likes to believe that she knows anyway. She's still talking to him reassuringly, her voice a beautiful melody to his pulsating ears as they flood with adrenaline, as she unties his bonds… but this is to be no salvation for either of them.

"There she is!" He hears a shout and both turn abruptly to see a group of believers advancing on them.

"Get the girl!" he hears his mother's commands and is filled with dread and horror. He wishes Tasha would run, but he can still see her out of the corner of his eye standing loyally by his side, she will not leave him again, he notices Tasha's arms being wrenched behind her back. "Take them to the stream!"

"NO!" he heaves himself into a standing position as he feels himself being grabbed from behind, pain surging through his whole body, but despite the sudden urge to double over, to stem the pain, he stands upright, this time he will make his mother listen to him… only then does he realise that Tasha has started to speak, her words are a blur, but his heart is filled with a hope he has never felt the like of before… for Tasha is not speaking as Tasha anymore, but as the chosen one.

He notices as the group turn away from them, turn on Momma Rose, he does not know what she is saying but aims a weak smile in Tasha's direction, the end has finally come. As he feels the tight grip being released on his arms he drops to the floor heavily, unable to support himself anymore, his chest heaving.

"JONAH!" he hears Tasha's shout as she rushes to his side, bending affectionately over him, tears in her eyes… but he cannot respond to her. He sees a pale shade of blue light and the sound of sirens throws the whole camp into chaos around him, he knows she will be safe now.

"Tash!" He hears another voice, but this new voice is strangely familiar, a young male calling her name, and the sound of heavy feet making their way towards them. Darkness is encroaching on his vision now, and he shivers violently as his body is overcome by a sudden bitter cold.

"Jack."

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine… it's Jonah, we have to help him!"

"What happened?" He hears another older male speak as the small group crowd around Jonah. He feels something heavy being laid across his body and sharp light meets with his eyes, much sharper than the torchlight of the believers, as somebody gently lifts his eyelids, a man with a distinct streak of blond hair.

"I don't know… he wouldn't tell me what they did to him." He hears the distress in Tasha's voice bringing invisible tears to his eyes.

"Jonah can you hear me?" he hears the older mans voice again, but as he tries to respond all he can manage is a pained groan.

"Will he be OK?"

"We need to get him to hospital," the older man continues gravely, "he seems to have sustained a pretty severe beating, I'm not sure but I'm concerned he may have internal injuries."… so it was as Jonah had suspected.

"The ambulance is on its way." He hears Jack speak.

"No it'll still take too long, we need to take him now…" but Jonah couldn't hear anymore of the conversation as he felt his body being lifted, his senses were sent into shock as a sudden agony gripped him, and he felt himself being bundled into the padded seating of the police car, a warm body either side of him, and in that moment Jonah realised what true passion and human kindness was about… and he hated his mother even more.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

"Jonah…" he hears Tasha's soft voice as she spurs him on, urging him to stay awake.

"Come on mate stay with us." Jack speaks reassuringly but firmly, although his voice is loud and harsh in contrast to that of the girl Jonah loves as he feels himself being gently shaken, as somebody starts vigorously rubbing his exposed shoulder, preventing the welcoming sleep of exhaustion from taking him.

"What are you doing?" Tasha asks and Jonah knows that it is Jack disturbing his peace.

"We mustn't let him fall asleep, if we do he could go into shock." Jack explains, "Stimulating his senses will help to keep him awake." But sleep is all Jonah wants now as he feels Tasha place a delicate hand on his arm comfortingly, withdrawing it quickly, afraid of hurting Jonah further… but he is beyond feeling anything apart from the piercing pain now gripping his whole body.

"It's OK," he hears the older man speak… he thinks his name is Peter but he can't be sure, "I've radioed ahead, we should be there soon… how's he holding up?"

"Not good."

At this he hears Tasha's alarmed gasp and in an instant he is consumed by fear, no longer fear for himself or his own life, death is a welcome salvation now, but the fear that he may never get the chance to say goodbye. With one final burst of renewed energy he forces his eyes open to look up at her, look into her eyes one final time.

"I'm… s…. sorry." He strains to speak.

"For what?" she smiles down at him, that smile that made him fall for her, but he hasn't got the time to explain. He can feel the pressure of his own blood rising in his chest and knows that there is only one last thing left to be said…

"I… I love you." And with that darkness took him as his eyes closed once more.

"Jonah?", he squeezes her hand weakly to let her know that he can still hear her… even if he will never see her again.

"We're here." Peter speaks as Jonah feels the swerve of the police car, hears the roar of the siren being shut off… the siren he barely noticed until blissful silence met with his ears, and he feels himself being pulled haste-fully from the car… but as he feels himself being bundled onto the flimsy hospital gurney, the crowd of people now gathered around him becoming a haze of voices to Jonah's senses, he knows that it is already too late.

"What's his name?" the voice is distinctly female as he hears the two police officers being quizzed.

"Jonah."

"Jonah who?"

"Just Jonah." Tasha's voice rings out reassuringly amongst the frightening unfamiliarity of the situation.

"Injuries sustained?"

"He appears to have been beaten up pretty badly." He hears Peter explain, "I've taken a brief look at him, there appears to be some significant abdominal trauma and suspected internal bleeding."

"Right take him through to trauma room one." The woman's voice is domineering, the rocking of the gurney causing further pain to surge through Jonah's body before more voices ring out confusingly to his ears.

"Jonah… Jonah my name is Rachel… I'm a doctor… can you hear me?"

Jonah nodded.

"We're going to take you through to surgery now, you're going to be just fine." And Jonah wondered just how much time had really passed, how long he had already been in the confines of the hospital… longer than he thought he probablt had he assumed. "I'm sorry but this may sting a little." And Jonah flinched as the prick of the needle pierced his skin, his final sensation as his head started to spin, his heart throbbing as eternal blackness finally took him.

The last few hours of Jonah's life had been such a blur that it seemed quite insignificant that he was unconscious till the end, that Rachel's voice would be the last voice he ever heard, that he never heard the high drone of the machines as he finally gave up his fight for life… this was Jonah's true destiny, this was Jonah's choice… and yet there was still one last thing he was determined to do before he could rest in peace…


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Jonah sat in the busy hospital accident and emergency staring at Tasha from across the room. She sat alone, not enough time had elapsed for her family to hear of her plight but Jack and Peter sat close by sipping coffee from disposable hospital cups and he figured that she probably needed some time alone. She had a bandage wrapped tightly around her right wrist and hand and Jonah was concerned just how badly she had been hurt, although he hadn't seen any wounds on her earlier… but the past few hours had been unbearable, and he was free from pain now. He wanted to be with her when she found out and it wouldn't be too long now… he wanted to take this final moment to say goodbye.

Suddenly the girl he had known only as Rachel came through the swinging double doors leading to the operating theatre, her face pale, her robes covered in blood, blood that Jonah knew was his own. At the sight of her Tasha rose from her seat, hope carved into every soft line of her beautiful expression, false hope.

"I'm sorry." He hears Rachel's gentle voice explain, "We did everything we could, the beating he sustained was just too great."

"No!"

"I'm so sorry Tasha... the damage was just too extensive." Tears are filling both women's eyes now, Tasha's spilling out onto her delicate cheeks and soaking her robes.

"No… no please… please." Jack is by her side now, holding her tight as she desperately needs someone to cling onto, someone to hold. "He saved me Jack… if it wasn't for him I'd be dead."

"I know, I know." The young officer cradles her like a child, his speech soothing as he gently strokes her long blond hair as Peter looks on at the scene of devastation before his eyes.

"You can see him now if that's what you want." Rachel continues and Jonah is relieved to see that Tasha is nodding, gasping for air as she continues to cry bitterly with loss and regret, her face wet and raw with the salty tears of her grief.

Jonah follows as the three allow themselves to be guided by Rachel back through the maze of corridors, dark and cold now, but he won't leave Tasha until she is ready to let go. Jack and Peter draw back as she enters the room alone, alone to her eyes but not ultimately as Jonah follows behind, the shock of seeing himself laid upon the bed in front of them almost outweighing the strangeness of the past few hours, but his own feelings are left forgotten as words appear to fail Tasha as she takes up the chair beside his bed, taking his limp hand affectionately in hers, caressing his fingers with her soft palm.

"I never meant for this to happen…" she explains after long silence elapses, but he knows that he will never get to hear all that has to be said, all that she longs to say. He will stay with her as long as she needs him but as he hears heavy footsteps outside he knows that Robbie has arrived and soon she will be back where she truly belongs, her pain will fade with time until it becomes nothing more than a dull ache and eventually Jonah knows that his existence will dissolve into a vague memory… "I love you…"

"Tash?"

He watches on as Tasha turns to meet with Robbie's gaze, she can't speak but Jonah knows that their relationship goes far deeper than anything words could express and he smiles a half hearted smile as she finds herself suddenly wrapped in her young lovers warm and loving embrace.

A week later a small group gather at the local church to celebrate the life of a man nobody really knew, the life of the man they have all come to recognise as the man who saved one of their own. The service is short, as was his life, but a meaningful tribute for those who met and cared for him… yet only one person sits at his grave as his body is lowered into the ground. A girl, with long blond hair and rosy cheeks speaks a final goodbye as she reads the message on his head stone, his final resting place..

_Jonah,_

_A man who proved till the end that actions speak louder than words,_

_And gave his life to save another,_

_May he rest in peace._

And then Tasha utters those words he has been waiting too long to hear, longing to know that she is finally able to let go, "Goodbye Jonah…"

… And finally Jonah is free.

**_END._**


End file.
